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Former Hawaii star Brennan has brain injury

HONOLULU — Former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan says he has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, throwing his prospects of playing again on any level into doubt.

Brennan told the Honolulu Star Advertiser in a report published Friday that he was diagnosed with the injury after signing with the Los Angeles Kiss of the Arena Football League in October and going through physical exams. The new team named for the rock band Kiss starts its season next week.

“They did some tests and there were major concerns about me playing football,” Brennan told the newspaper. “I was medically not cleared to play.”

He was placed on the physically unable to perform list last week.

Brennan said the injury came from a 2010 car accident. He was a passenger in the two-car crash on Queen Kaahumanu Highway in North Kona. He was hospitalized for eight days, injuring his head, ribs and one of his collarbones.

Brennan said he plans to meet with a neurologist in Hawaii for a second opinion. The neurologist will review “these new tests just so I can know if football is really over,” he said.

Brennan said he wants to know why he was medically cleared to play for the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League in 2011 and Saskatchewan of the Canadian Football League in 2012.

Brennan, 30, played three years for Hawaii from 2005 through 2007, throwing for more than 5,500 yards and 58 touchdowns in 2006.